The UK said that Russia had lost almost 500,000 soldiers in the war against Ukraine, and also noted that the Kremlin was “retreating” on the battlefield amid increasing hybrid attacks against the West.
The Guardian writes about this.
During her first annual lecture at Bletchley Park, the director of the UK's Government Communications Headquarters, Anne Kist-Butler, said that “nearly half a million Russian soldiers” had been killed since the start of the full-scale invasion. She also noted that Russia was “moving back on the battlefield” in Ukraine.
This is the first time a senior British intelligence official has publicly confirmed such estimates of Russian losses in the war.
Kist-Butler also warned of increased Russian hybrid activity against the UK and Europe, including cyberattacks, sabotage, impact on critical infrastructure, and attempts to undermine democratic processes.
She emphasized that British intelligence services, together with partners, are countering attempts to smuggle Western technology into the Russian Federation, cyberattacks, and cases of sabotage.